A FourWay Duel
by Anchor5
Summary: Marian Hawke and Eckhart Cousland discuss love, loss, and leadership while exploring their unexpected affinity for each other. This might not go over well with Leliana and Isabela, however.
1. Chapter 1

He fought with finesse. A nimble thing; thin but muscular with rigid form and slender motion. He fought with a rapier, preferring to poke his enemies to death rather than dismember them blow by blow. There was something daring about seeing him charge head on into battle with nothing but a long needle, and in a way it even worked to his advantage. None of the highwaymen seemed to take him seriously as a threat; they were too distracted by Hawke's two-handed axe to notice the tiny stinger at the back of their skull. She expected most of the stories about him to be a bit exaggerated, just as they were about her (mostly thanks to Varric), but one detail was not: he was certainly dashing. Long brown hair to his shoulders, the outline of his jaw traced by a thin beard from one ear to the next; he looked like the handsome noble that most bards made him out to be, but that only reminded her of the self-absorbed pricks of Hightown. Part of her hoped he'd be more of a grizzly warrior than a noble-blooded pretty-boy, but alas reality was typically more disappointing than her expectations. At least he could fight.

After she finished hacking through the last highwayman, she jerked her axe from his corpse and felt the Hero of Ferelden approach her, sheathing his rapier. "Welcome back to Ferelden" he jested. Hawke was covered in blood, while his fancy clothes had not a drop on them.

"Do you rally the parade for every homecoming, or am I a special occasion?" Hawke responded.

The other Grey Wardens who came to her aid began searching the bodies, "It's a requirement in Ferelden actually, one highway mugging per visit. It does wonders for the trade industry." He was charming, but he spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he were speaking more to himself than to her.

"I could've handled them on my own."

He raised his hands, "No need to impress me, Champion. Or should I call you Hawke?"

"Only if I can call you Cousland."

He laughed at that, "Oh Maker no, what a dull name. Eckhart will do just fine." He extended a hand in greeting.

She wiped some blood on her trousers and returned the handshake, "Then I'm Marian."

"A pleasure Marian. As I was saying before, Isabela threatened to have my manhood if I didn't extend all my courtesies to you. I assumed that included my blade. Where _is_ Isabela if I may ask, I thought she'd be with you?"

Hawke looked away. She was hoping she could avoid that topic. "Isabela does as she pleases, I wouldn't know where she is."

It didn't come out very convincingly, and from the look on his face she could tell Eckhart was starting to piece together the truth, but he didn't press the issue. "Very well. As promised you'll find shelter at my estate, which is just off the road a ways. My squire will show you the way. Tobias!" he called to a young man helping the Wardens clear the road. As he walked over, Eckhart lowered his voice "You'll have to forgive his... enthusiasm. To be honest it'll be refreshing to get away from him for a day."

He sheepishly approached and kneeled on the stone road. "It is an honour my lady, to kneel before the Champion of Kirkwall!"

"Get up Tobias" Eckharts words were drowned out by the squire's fanaticism.

"Driving out those Qunari heretics, defeating the Arishok single-handedly!Truly I was blessed by the maker to serve such noble heroes..."

Marian was surprised the boy neglected to mention her part in aiding another group of 'heretics', which might have meant the Chantry was keeping it under wraps after all. It certainly wouldn't help their cause to let mages know the Champion of Kirkwall was on their side. While her newest fan spilled his heart out to her, Eckhart leaned in to whisper "One of my cousin's children. They _insisted_ I take him on." Turning again to his squire, he interrupted, "That's enough Tobias! You are to escort the Champion to my estate and show her the guest quarters. Understood?"

"Yes m'lord, I shall escort the lady Hawke."

"If he calls me '_lady_' one more time, I might have to smash something," Marian half-joked.

"Isabela's threats scare me more than _darkspawn_," he said with a smile, "but if you can't behave yourself, you'll be back on the highway." It was a typical noble male gesture she observed; that _need_ to establish their dominant ego. Hawke didn't like that.

She stepped closer, face to face with the Hero of Ferelden, this time more seriously. She was almost as tall as him. "No one orders me around."

"And no one disobeys me." He kept his ground, unphased by the giant axe over her shoulder.

"Why give me a squire, don't you know the way to your own hovel?"

The Hero chuckled, "My dear, I'd love to, but I simply haven't the time." He turned away to look out on to the road ahead, "I have some business to attend to, Grey Warden matters, I won't bore you with the details. Just try to relax while you're here, Tobias can give you a tour of my '_hovel_'."

Before leading his soldiers in the other direction, Hawke stopped him. "Wait... I wanted to ask you... about Bethany." It did no favours to her authority to sound like a beggar, but she needed to know.

"Ah, I imagined you might have questions. There'll be time for that later, when I return. I promise."

The Wardens departed, lead by their 'hero', and Hawke was left with the pestering squire. Her clothes were bloodied, but luckily she had her favourite housecoat tucked away in her pack.

The Estate was obscured by a small forest, but once they penetrated the brush, they came upon a marvellous view of the Waking Sea, with a huge manor overlooking it atop some cliffs. It daunted her to know that somewhere across the expanse of water stood Kirkwall, in the chaotic state she left it in. It didn't feel right leaving it behind and hiding like a coward, but all her companions agreed she needed to disappear until the Chantry made its next move.

When they climbed the steps and passed through the archway to the manor, Hawke's first thoughts turned to the blood that covered her. "Where can I get a bath?" she said, interrupting Tobias' ramble about the Hero's victory at Denerim, over half a decade ago.

He stopped mid sentence and looked at her with his thoughts derailed, "A bath? Oh certainly! Would you prefer the tubs or the cave pool?"

"_Cave pool_?"

It was so beautiful she thought it had to be poisonous. It was that certain type of natural beauty only an artist could recreate. The water shimmered turquoise as the sunlight shone in from the opening of the cave. She could look out on to the sea from the shade as the waves splashed in. "Will this suffice?" Tobias asked as if it were just another bath house. For a moment she almost forgot he was there, the water enticed her so.

"Yes, thank you." She replied politely. The squire retreated to the steps at the back of the cave leading up to the basement. Almost immediately she removed her stained clothes and dipped into the water. Her body began to warm to the sea, and she noticed a few light coloured stones along the edge of the pool. As she swam closer she saw they were not stones, but bars and bottles of different soaps. Each had its own scent, and though she was no expert, she could tell the quality was Orlesian.

Once she was clean, she changed into her red housecoat and began exploring the rest of the grounds. The manor was quite dull compared to the caves, and apart from the artwork and statues throughout the estate, there wasn't much that interested Hawke. She handed her dirty clothes to a female elf servant named Yara, who apart from Eckhart and Tobias seemed to be the only other resident of the large building. "Lord Eckhart keeps to himself and his work mostly. The Wardens don't have much time for personal lives." She replied when Hawke inquired about the building's emptiness. "I'm not complaining of course, it's a lot easier to clean a house that's never lived in. All I do is dust the shelves and keep the sea crabs out. But sometimes I worry about Lord Eckhart; he'll disappear for months on his '_missions_'."

"Worried you might lose your job?"

"This isn't my job, this is my home. Lord Eckhart and Tobias are the closest things to family I have."

"But it _is_ your job, right." The girl looked too young to be the Hero's wife, at least she hoped.

"I suppose you have a point. I've known Eckhart almost half my life, I just don't think of him as an employer anymore."

"And what if the estate is looted while he's away? It's pretty secluded to be left undefended."

The girl simply laughed heartily "It's safe as long as Artemis is here."

"_Artemis_?"

"M'lord's pet Mabari. I've seen him shred through a pack of thieves by himself. But don't let the legends fool you, he's as adorable as they come."

A week passed, and the Warden commander still hadn't returned. As nice as it was in the caves, part of Marian hoped looters would break in. Her fight with Isabela kept her in a foul mood, and all she wanted to do was hack things. She was somewhat entertained overhearing Tobias' conversations with Yara. For the amount they talked to Hawke, those two were useless at talking to each other; a common side effect of young infatuation. Their idea of small talk brought a smile to her face whenever she heard them awkwardly mention the weather or something they happened to be wearing, too terrified of each other to even touch. That was never Hawke's idea of romanticism. When she wanted something, she tackled it and dealt with the consequences later.

She finished another bath by the sea and wrapped herself in a towel. Tobias was off bartering with a caravan, Yara went for her sunset walk along the coast, and Artemis seemed to be busy chasing a stray cat through the yard. Hawke had the whole manor to herself, but there was only one part of it that really interested her, the room she had yet to explore.

She had no reason to sneak in an empty house, but if she _were_ sneaking, the creak in Eckhart's door would've put an end to that. She had heard of paranoid lords designing their doors and floorboards to be an extra bit noisier, in case of an unwanted guest, and the weight of her every step confirmed that suspicion. Eckhart's room looked just as unused as the rest of the house, but it had a bit more character to it. It was large, with half the room set up as a study, and the other half occupied by a large bed. The walls were lined with bookshelves, stacked full with tomes about Thedas and its people. His desks were covered in maps, with tiny throwing knives pinned to most of the cities. On the dresser next to his bed stood a tiny figurine of Andraste, and next to it was a framed sketch drawn in charcoal. It was a portrait of a young woman from her head down to her naked breasts; she seemed to be combing her hear with the slightest smile on her lips. Hawke was drawn to it, lifting it up off the shelf to look closer; the woman looked remarkably familiar.

"I believe you've met Leliana, yes?" said a voice from behind her. Hawke turned around so suddenly her towel nearly fell. The thing that startled her most was that she never heard the creaky door open or the loose floorboards bend. "I see you've made yourself at home already." He said as he tossed his pack on to a desk. He also carried her red housecoat, "I believe these are yours."

"Well perhaps, since you're such a gentleman, you wouldn't mind waiting outside while I change." She tilted her head and smirked.

"This is _my_ room! And _I_ need to change."

"Very well then, just stand there if you prefer," she said as she dropped the towel to the floor. She began switching into her housecoat as if he wasn't even there.

The Warden Commander just shook his head, "Alright champion, have it your way," then left the room.

Once she was changed, she headed down the stairs to meet Eckhart sitting in the lounge next to the fireplace and took a seat across from him, staring deeply into the fire. "Who drew that portrait" she asked, referring to the one she found in his bedchamber.

"I did," his eyes never left the fire. When Marian offered no reply he smiled, "I wanted to be an artist, in another life."

It came as a surprise to her. It was the first thing she'd learned about him that didn't involve the Wardens or Darkspawn. "It's very beautiful."

"I can't take any of the credit for that. That's just Leliana."

He quickly started to seem less like the uptight noble she envisioned him to be. All of a sudden he was interesting, thoughtful even. "You two are close?"

"Once upon a time; it's all in the songs now." He paused, "It's not easy, loving the people who follow you into battle, but then I guess you can't really escape it." She agreed in silence. She wasn't ready to bring up Isabela again. A bottle rested on the table in front of him. "Would you like a glass?" he gestured to it.

"Please" she nodded.

"Ah, so Champions _do_ have manners."

She chuckled, "I...apologize if I've been a rude guest. It wasn't exactly my idea to come here, and I'm more used to giving orders than following them."

"So whose idea was it?" he asked while pouring the wine into her glass.

She stared down into the red liquid; it smelled Orlesian. "Isabela said we could trust you."

"Ah, _Isabela_. And I imagine you trust _her_." Hawke said nothing. "She's a hard woman to trust, and her trust is even harder to earn. I imagine you'd have to be quite close to someone like that to put that much faith in them."

Hawke just drank, looking into the fire. Her voice felt too frail to speak at that moment. "I bet it's hard for her too," he continued, "a lowly pirate living in the shadow of the Champion of Kirkwall."

It was enough to move her to words. "That's not true!"

"Of course not. Nobody would say the woman who single-handedly drove out the Qunari was too good for the selfish pirate whore who pissed them off in the first place. Mostly because they don't even know she exists."

Marian stood and grabbed the bottle. "One more word and I'll shove this down your throat!"

"If I'm so wrong, then why isn't Isabela here now?"

She wanted to smash the bottle over his head right then, but it wouldn't prove him wrong. Nothing could prove him wrong. She knew it wasn't Isabela he was mocking, it was _her._ She told him what she told herself, "I couldn't have beaten the Qunari alone, Isabela came back. She made up for her mistake."

"And yet you're the only one people remember. The leader ends up taking all the blame and all the glory in the end, and everyone else gets filed away in the archives. Can you imagine what it's like to never feel good enough for the one you love?"

"Says the 'Hero of Ferelden'."

He shrugged, "You of all people should know the triviality of a _title_. I've made the same mistakes, you know. The difference is I was young and stupid, whereas you're a grown woman. You're wise enough to make up for things."

"If she wants me back, then she can say so. I'm not crawling back to her."

"The way she spoke of you... She may be your captain, but you're her _leader_. She looks to you for guidance, for approval. If she believes you don't want her, then to her there's no hope."

"I still don't understand why anyone would follow _me_."

"You're strong. Not in battle but in mind, although your savagery with an axe is also quite dazzling. People want to be lead, they need direction, so they find the strongest person they can and anoint them leader whether they want it or not. I suppose that's why we worship the Maker; people need to feel a sense of purpose, even leaders like us."

It was a strange thought, coming from a man with Andraste at his bedside. "Do you believe?" Marian asked.

"In the Maker? I give him the benefit of the doubt. You?"

"Maybe I believe he exists, but I see no reason to worship him. What has he done for us lately? Did _he_ stop the blights?"

"No, but then I wonder what _we've_ done for _him_. Violence, greed, corruption, who would save a race like us? Even if the Chant is wrong, if it turns out to be arbitrary indoctrination, would it really hurt to follow? Even if it didn't end the blights once and for all, would it be so wrong if mankind could live an honest life without sin? Must there be a Maker for there to be a right and a wrong?"

"Sometimes there is no right answer."

"I sincerely hope you're correct, but that doesn't stop me from regretting my mistakes."

She sighed in disbelief. "What would the _savoir_ of Ferelden know about regret?"

"Just as much as the _Champion_ of Kirkwall, I imagine. You did what you thought was right at the time, as did I, but everyone has to live with their mistakes, no matter how heroic people think we are... I couldn't save my family either."

Marian looked away. The wine softened her, and of course Eckhart waited 'til she was _just_ comfortable enough before returning to that topic. "Bethany..."

"Is alive. More than that, I cannot say. It was over five years ago that I met her in the Free Marches. She was still fresh, still dealing with the struggle of being a Warden. She seemed a lot less terrified than I was when I first took the joining, but I think she had just learned to mask it better. She's a brave girl your sister, maybe a little unsure of herself, but full of potential. She reminded me of myself back then.

"Oh, and despite the fact they don't always get along, she admires her sister terribly, and misses her. I think she wants to prove she's finally learned how to look after herself, but that's just my best guess. I can't say when you'll see her again, or if you ever will, but I _can_ say she's a part of something greater now, and the world will know of her sacrifices."

Hawkes eyes were red. "Maker, I've had too much wine already." Her voice was hoarse, her nose stuffy. She kept her face away from the fire, in darkness. "I think I'll retire for the night." Eckhart simply nodded and stared into the flames. She couldn't hesitate, she had to make it to her room before her emotions had enough freedom to burst. Speaking over her shoulder, she simply replied "Thank you." Her tears ushered her into the fade that night, while Lord Cousland thought deeply at the fire.


	2. Chapter 2

The next week was far more interesting than the last. The Warden Commander seemed more complex a man than Hawke anticipated. She pressed him for information on the Wardens, and he eventually mentioned a darkspawn called "The Architect", who greatly resembled Corypheus from his description.

"No, we never captured him. The Orlesian Warden Commander let him go." The mention of it clearly vexed him. "It was a judgment call that was his to make, but I still can't help but think I should've been there."

"Then where were you?"

"Antiva, most likely." He rose from his seat to examine the maps about his bedchamber. "Have you ever been there? It's an exciting place to say the least."

"But why Antiva?"

"No particular reason other than it _wasn't_ Ferelden. I wanted to be done with Darkspawn after the Blight. Even after the Archdemon fell, there was still a large force of Darkspawn in Ferelden, but I was tired of fixing other people's problems, I wanted my life back. So I left those problems behind, and as a result, Amaranthine was destroyed and the Architect escaped."

"But you're here now. If you wanted to get away from all this, why did you come back?"

He doted on the question, but gave no answer. "I believe I smell supper. We'll continue this talk another time."

Hawke was the first to make her way down the staircase, but she was greeted by an unexpected guest. The red head wearing chantry armour was unmistakably "Leliana?" Eckhart gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't start a fuss, Eckhart, I didn't come here for you." Her eyes were fixed on Marian. "I've been looking for you. You're quite the elusive character aren't you, and you keep the most interesting company."

"Well, it's not a popularity contest," she joked. "I suppose you're here to 'turn me in' or something."

"I only wish to talk."

Eckhart interrupted. "You two can talk all you like; the dinner table beckons." He continued down the staircase towards the dining room. Hawke was no scout, but she could sense the change in Leliana's composure as the Warden passed her. Her chest expanded with a deep breath, and with a blink of her lashes, her eyes flashed involuntarily in his direction. They returned to focus on Marian.

"You seem to be making yourself comfortable," she said, eyeing Hawke's housecoat. "Perhaps the 'Hero of Ferelden' has finally found a woman _worthy_ of him."

"If you came all this way to talk about my bedfellows, then I'm going to need a drink."

"I don't care who you're sleeping with. The Chantry _needs_ you right now."

"The Chantry needs a lot of things. What's it to me?"

"You want to save the mages, don't you? That's what you did in Kirkwall, but that was only one circle. If you don't stop this uprising, many more will die. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

"Of course it's _my_ fault, not the actual templars holding the knife. What do you expect me to do, follow you to Orlais so I can be some puppet for the Chantry. You brought this mess on yourselves, _you_ clean it up."

"You know it's not that simple. Whatever you think of the Chantry, we're on the same side. We don't wish to see so much unnecessary death. You're not going to change anything hiding beneath every hero in Thedas."

Marian stood closer to Leliana. Even in her housecoat, she knew how to intimidate. "First of all, I'm always on top... of things. Second, if I go to Orlais, I go on _my_ terms. If you think you're going to drag me to Val Royeaux, then your Chantry's about to have an even bigger problem." _Me_, she thought.

Leliana backed down. "Like I said, I only came to talk. You can stay here and play house if you prefer, but for the sake of Thedas I hope you consider what I've asked." She turned to leave, giving one last look in the direction of the dining room. "And as a friendly word of advice: don't bother, his heart belongs to someone else."

Hawke joined the dinner table late. Eckhart was sneaking a chicken leg to Artemis beneath the table while picking at his food apathetically. He made no inquiry of Leliana, but Hawke could see his appetite had been changed by her visit. Artemis pawed his way to Hawke, begging for scraps. "Just because I'm new here doesn't mean I'm gullible," she said. The mabari barked in protest. "Maybe if you kept that damn stray out of my room I'd reward you." He merely whimpered in defeat.

"Ser Pounce-A-Lot's not a stray!" Tobias objected.

"Did you say, _'Ser Pounce-A-Lot'_?"

"Well don't look at me,_ I_ didn't name him! He was given to me by a friend."

"I think Ser Pounce-A-Lot is an adorable name," Yara added.

He continued, "He belonged to a Grey Warden; a pretty strange animal for a _Warden_ to keep, if you ask me. I never knew what became of him; some say the darkspawn took him, others say he deserted."

Little did they know, Marian thought.

After dinner, Yara began collecting the plates, and Tobias shyly offered his help. Eckhart was unusually silent that evening. He retreated to his lounge, where Hawke found him with a book by the fireplace.

"What have you got there?" she asked.

"I don't know if I should tell you, it's _terribly_ dirty."

"Oh, a little 'bedtime story' I see," she smirked.

"Tease me all you wish, but it simply happens to be a well written book. I swear there's nothing ignoble about my interest."

"Oh of course," she agreed sarcastically, "just appreciating 'fine art' then? Like that rather provocative portrait you keep by your bedside. I wonder, what fantasies _wet_ the 'Hero of Ferelden's' appetite?"

"If you keep this up, I might have to take away your pool privileges."

"So he prefers his women dirty, then?"

"I prefer women who play nice, and right now you're on your way to a time out." He smiled playfully.

"_Nice_, like the woman Leliana was talking about?"

He hesitated, betraying his next words, "I don't know what you mean." The smile fell away from his face.

"She said there was someone else."

"Maker, is _that_ how she sees it?"

"You tell me."

He stroked his chin, those heavy thoughts of his returning to his eyes. "Before I tell you, I'm going to need more wine." He poured them both a glass, and began the story.

"We were in love. There were no Darkspawn in my eyes, no Archdemon, no Grey Wardens, only her. I thought I wanted to be an artist so I could create beauty, but she showed me that I actually wanted to _discover_ beauty. We saw much of the world together after the blight. For a year we wandered wherever the road or the sea would take us. It got us into a world of mess sometimes too, but we didn't care. We were free and careless, and for a time I actually thought it could last the rest of our days. That was until my regrets caught up with me.

"The woman Leliana was referring to was... one of our other companions during the blight. We were in Rivain when word reached me that Morrigan had been sighted again, a year after she disappeared. I couldn't ignore the news, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Leliana the truth, so I just left her and headed straight back to Ferelden to look for Morrigan."

"So you loved her?"

"_No_. I mean, _yes_. It's more complicated than that. Yes I love her, but in a different way. She was my friend, and she saved my life." He looked very intently at Hawke, contemplating his words. "What I'm about to tell you is known to no one but myself and Morrigan. I suppose I _ought_ to tell you; if anything happens to me it'll likely end up becoming _your_ problem."

"I don't think I follow. This is about your relationship with _Morrigan_?"

He nodded. "Morrigan is the mother of my child, although I can't say exactly how much of it is _mine_. Even Leliana doesn't know about it, she just knows I left to find her.

"Morrigan knew a secret that the Wardens have kept for ages. When the arch demon is slain, the Grey Warden to draw the final blow is also slain. In its death, its essence is drawn to the darkspawn blood in our bodies, where it is consumed and destroyed. Morrigan proposed that a newly conceived child with the blood of a Warden could survive such a trauma. She came to me the night before with her proposition, and I accepted. To this day I don't know if it was the right decision, or what effect that kind of magic would have on the offspring. I just know at the time I was too afraid to do what I should've; to die for my country. Morrigan disappeared after that, with no explanation, so when I heard of her reappearance, I had to seek her out. I came back to Ferelden because I realized I couldn't keep running from the mistakes I had made, I had to face them. I needed to know if I made the right decision, to make up for my cowardice."

"So, what happened?"

"She disappeared again, but not before talking some sense into me. After that, I decided to stay, and stop living for myself. Sooner or later you have to look at the larger consequences of your actions, and those of your _inactions_."

Whether or not his last words were intended for her, she interpreted their meaning all the same. She let the thought sit with her awhile, sipping from her glass. As much as she wanted to blame the wine, she knew what she was feeling had been there since the first time they spoke. This time _he_ was vulnerable, and to her surprise it only made him more attractive. "So you had sex with Morrigan."

His solemnity was shaken with a smile, "That's all you've been thinking about this whole time, isn't it."

"The Warden Commander sure gets around."

"Well I imagine Isabela told you all about that."

"_Isabela_?"

"Yes, didn't she ever tell you how we met?"

"She said she taught you how to duel."

"And duelled we did, Leliana too. To be honest I was surprised she was able to _handle_ both of us at the same time." His grin was wide, no longer bothered by subtlety.

"Do you mean what I think you do?"

"Well, if your mind's as dirty as it usually is, then I'd say you're spot on!"

Marian laughed, her jaw agape. Though she hid it well, she couldn't tell if she was more pestered by another tale of Isabela's philandering, or the fact she got to have him first. _What am I thinking,'have him __first__'? _she asked herself, though she already understood what it meant. "So is that what the Hero of Ferelden does while fighting the blight, have threesomes?"

"By Andraste, we had to have _some_ fun once in a while. We were young and reckless, with the Darkspawn and half the country trying to kill us, it meant everything to forget what we were up against for even a moment. Though it lasted a lot longer than a moment, mind you," he boasted.

Marian didn't like to play games when she knew what she wanted. She didn't stop to wonder why she wanted it; there'd be time for that later. She rose from her seat and swayed over to Eckhart. "I wonder just how much Isabela _taught_ you."

The proposition wasn't lost on him. His hand felt the outside of her thigh, brushing up beneath her skirt, caressing her, though his eyes pretended not to be interested. "I might be willing to show you, if you behave yourself."

He had finesse, she'd give him that. But like on the battlefield, Hawke preferred a more aggressive approach. She pulled him into a kiss, collapsing on to his lap. The delicate hands she had seen in action did not disappoint, as they found their way round to her buttocks. His touch wrapped around to find her weakness beneath her undergarments.

Rising from him slightly, she opened the front of her robes and slid them slightly down her shoulders just enough to reveal the tip of her breasts. His lips tended to them accordingly while his fingers continued to reach beneath her skirt, never entering, but only teasing.

When he returned from her cleavage for a breath of air, he whispered, "Not here. Come." She shouldered her robe back on while he lead her slowly up the staircase. The wait was excruciating; she wanted to run up the stairs and tackle him, but that was exactly what he wanted her to want.

She slammed the creaky door shut behind her; she had waited long enough. Pushing him on to the bed, she went for his belt and slid his trousers down to pleasure him. When she decided he was satisfied enough, she rose from the edge of the bed and slid her undergarments from beneath her skirt down her legs. His shirt was gone by the time they left her toes, and she climbed on top of him.

While there was something enticing about fucking the Hero of Ferelden, she felt there was more to it than that. They had known each other barely a week, but he seemed to understand her on a level her companions never did. Not that he understood her _more_, rather he was the only one who didn't treat her like she was _above_ him (figuratively of course). Even though they might never agree on some things, they still considered each other equals. She felt _normal_ around him, which was an abnormal thing for a champion to feel.

After she had satiated herself several times with him, she finally collapsed, too exhausted to continue. The Warden lay pleased with himself, a sly grin crossing his cheeks as he tossed an arm around her. "You didn't come?" Hawke asked.

"I enjoyed it all the same. I simply... paced myself too much," he replied.

It had been some time since Hawke had been with a man, but she never had much trouble bringing them to their limit. In truth, their briefness usually brought her fun to a disappointing end, but this time she couldn't tell if his lack of climax was a failure on her part, or if he possessed some mythical Grey Warden endurance she was unaware of. Whichever the cause, to her it was just another challenge, one she was now committed to surmount. Exhausted as she was, she decided to rest and try again in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning began with him above and within her; their tongues further acquainted each other while they worked up a sweat. Hawke could tell he was close, but she was closer, edging on ecstasy with each breath.

Then they heard the howl of a Mabari. Like a rooster at sunrise, but instead of a pleasant wakeup call it reminded her more of an annoying merchant at the door. "I should go see..."

"It's nothing," Hawke pulled his hips into hers and they began to move again.

Another howl followed, "No, someone's here."

"For the love of Andraste, I was so close!" she cursed.

Eckhart donned a housecoat to mask his nudity. "Breakfast ought to be ready. I'll see you downstairs."

Hawke prepared herself and chuckled when she saw that the figurine of Andraste had been turned around to face the wall. "Fanatics," she laughed to herself, shaking her head.

"...It's been too long Eckhart." Marian was about to head down the stairs when she froze. "But apparently it's been just long enough for you, Hawke," said the pirate, eyeing the two bedfellows barely covered by their robes.

"I doubt that matters to _you_ at all." Hawke scorned.

"On the contrary, it matters a great deal." She kept her eyes shut and shrugged when she said "I think it's adorable the two of you have started your own little 'save the world' club. Few month's time, I'm sure you'll be popping out little heroes and champions like a broodmother."

"Now now, Isabela, mind your manners," Eckhart teased, trying to keep the mood light.

"Forgive me, I can't compare to the 'Hero of Ferelden', can I," she looked right at Hawke, lunging the words into her heart, "but I'll try my best to be quaint."

"We need to talk," stated the Champion standing atop the staircase.

"I'd love to darling, but I didn't come here for _you_." Isabela looked to the other historical figure at her side. "Shall we get to it?"

Eckhart gestured to his robes, "You're not even going to let me dress first?"

The pirate bit her lip as she eyed the chest hair between his robes, "_Not a chance_. Shall we continue elsewhere?"

Hawke shook her head, "I don't think understand."

"It's not important," Eckhart replied, "Isabela and I just have some things to discuss. Warden business." He turned his attention to the pirate, who already had her eyes on an expensive looking vase. "Shall we?"

Hawke considered listening in on their conversation, but she imagined she looked bad enough, getting caught by Isabela like that. It hurt her, the way she didn't seem to care, but she likely deserved such treatment. It had only been 2 weeks since they parted; she wasn't sending her a very good message in the name of love.

She snuck her breakfast to Artemis underneath the table; the dog had stolen her appetite the moment he started barking that morning.

"Last night probably shouldn't have happened," was the first thing Eckhart said after a long silence at the dinner table. The sun was setting, Hawke felt clean after a long solitary bath in the cave below, and Tobias and Yara were nowhere to be seen. Sipping at the stew her Warden host made, she started to realize why Eckhart needed a cook.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so... _forward_."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. On the contrary, I enjoyed your _approach_."

It was enough to make Hawke smile, but not enough to make her forget Isabela's reaction. "Did she say anything, about me?"

"No, which, if I remember Isabela at all, means she was upset. Pretending not to care is just her way of getting back at you."

She chuckled, "That sounds like Isabela, but are you sure? I think she's really done with love this time. I shouldn't have-"

"No one's ever _done_ with love; it never leaves you. Even in death or heartbreak, it's still there, reminding you what you've lost." His eyes wandered in pensiveness, as they often did, and the silence returned to the table as they picked at their food. "She's coming back in two days. You should speak to her then."

"What did she want with you anyhow?" she asked.

He wiped his lips, giving himself a moment to consider whether to answer. "I'm going on an expedition, into the Amaranthine Ocean. There's a lot of uncharted territory and I need a captain insane enough to take me."

"Well, Isabela certainly fits the description, but what are you looking for out there?"

"Answers. I cannot give you, nor Isabela, more information than that. Like it or not, you're involved in a political struggle that could affect all of Thedas. Grey Wardens can't involve themselves in such matters; I can't let the nature of my mission influence your decisions in the times to come."

"Who says I want to get involved in politics? I did what I had to in Kirkwall because it was my home, why should it matter to the rest of the world?"

"Because you're strong, and people want to be lead, to be shown the way. It's not about what we want, we don't get that luxury. I tried to ignore my responsibilities and I paid for it; don't make the same mistake I did."

"And what about me, who's supposed to show _me_ the way?"

Eckhart paused. He looked down at his bowl, frowning slightly, not sad but thoughtful. And then he answered her, though judging by his tone it seemed the answer was more for himself. "The ones you _love_. You have two days to figure that out, champion."

She couldn't bare another uncomfortable silence at that moment. Her thoughts of Isabela spun into thoughts of that morning, the moment before they were interrupted. She wanted to be with Isabela again, to feel her embrace once more without all the emotional drivel the past month brought them, but there was still a challenge here she wasn't ready to give up on.

Twirling her spoon, she raised a brow and asked, "What are we going to do for _two_ _whole days_?"

Eckhart pushed his dish away, "Not suffer my cooking, that's for certain."

"Surely you have _other_ appetites." She also pushed her dish to the side, leaving a clear space on the dining room table.

He laughed, coyly looking to the side, "Champion, I do admire your relentlessness. A _duel_ then?"

She smirked in agreement, "If you can handle me."

Within seconds they were on the table. As soon as they were able to fervidly remove their clothes, he was underneath her. As her hips began, his hands continued their skilled massage of her body. It seemed almost as if he found more pleasure in touching her than fucking her, so she let him. Each fingertip examined her, as if he were a blind man studying her body anew.

She was ready to climax, wondering if he'd do the same this time. "Is the hero of Ferelden pacing himself again?"

Eckhart simply started giggling. His hands fell to his forehead as he started laughing harder and harder. "Ok, stop, stop." Hawke was frustrated. She was beautiful, most men would crumble underneath her. Why didn't he? "Is that what this is about?" he asked, the laughter subsiding.

It seemed so much like he was replying to her thoughts that she forgot about the words she said in heat. "What?"

"You're just trying to get me off, like it's a game to you!"

"Maybe. So what, is that a problem?"

He laughed some more, all red and sweaty. "Of course not. I'm quite flattered, it was very considerate of you to try, but..."

"What, not interested in women?"

Still inside, he thrust his hips upwards into her. She shut her eyes and gasped. "As a matter of fact, I find you quite interesting."

Catching her breath, she looked down at him again, "Then what is it, are you diseased or something?"

He thrust again, this time making her yelp in delight. "I'm a leader, it's not about what I want, it's about what's expected of me."

She was breathing heavily, she didn't care about talking anymore, she just wanted to resume. "And...what's...expected...you?"

He lifted himself up to embrace her, and kissed her neck, whispering "_Finesse._"

When they were too tired to finish the duel, they agreed to continue the next morning. It went on for so long that Hawke didn't even realize Tobias and Yara had been gone the entire day. They had finished tumbling in bed when she asked what happened to them.

"Yara's cousins were passing through town. It wasn't safe to bring them here, so I sent Tobias with her for protection. They should be back in a week or so."

"They seem fond of each other, Yara and he."

It made him smile, "I suppose they are. After I expire, I wonder if Yara will ask him to stay."

"Stay _here_, in your estate?"

"That's correct. It and all my possessions are to pass to her when I go. I _would_ say I think of her as a daughter, but that would make me a horribly absent father."

"Isn't it a little dangerous for an elf to live outside an alienage, in a mansion, no less?"

He sighed, "Most certainly. As soon as word spreads I imagine some angry men will come along and burn the place to the ground. Or perhaps the town hall will conjure some bureaucratic legal document which will void any mention of an elf in my will. Either way, I wouldn't leave my things in anyone else's hands. She even takes care of Artemis better than I do, though he'd never admit it."

"But doesn't that bother you? Knowing that they'll take it away from her?"

"A lot in this world bothers me, but it's not a Warden's place to change it, only to protect it. I suppose she might sell it all, but part of me hopes things will be better for her kind by the time I'm gone."

"You're radically optimistic for a tainted man."

"It's my only defence against the darkspawn." Marian laughed, but Eckhart's tone was serious. He sat up on the bed and exclaimed, "It's true!"

"Cheered the arch-demon to death, did you?"

"I didn't mean it quite so literally," he began staring off at nothing. "There were times during the blight when it seemed like darkspawn were the easiest of our problems. The things people will do to each other, out of greed or bias, for their own pride... I began to question whether or not we deserved to be saved; if the Maker was right to set the darkspawn upon us."

"Assuming the legend is true."

"Even so, it seemed like even if the darkspawn were destroyed, the world would still be just as grim as ever. That was before I knew about people like you. You saved those mages in Kirkwall, they would have all died were it not for you. When we met two weeks ago, I couldn't believe you were the same woman who risked herself for those people; you don't seem like the self-sacrificing type. Perhaps that's why I find you so... interesting."

She smirked, "Maybe I was just pissed off and felt like killing a couple templars?"

"There you go again. Why the act? I _know_ there's a hero in there," he teased.

Hawke kicked him playfully and they began to wrestle amidst the bedsheets. After pinning him to the bed, Hawke rose and began to ride him once more, "the only '_hero_' I've got in me is _you_."

This of course would have been the perfect segue to incredible pleasure were it not for the voices they heard in the front hall beneath the stairs of their room.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE HERE? HELLO?" The voice was most certainly Isabela's. "OK THEN. I'M STEALING THIS VASE. NOT THAT ANYONE AROUND HERE CARES." They heard someone else giggling, "Stop that! Give them a moment to get dressed at least." The Orlesian accent definitely belonged to Leliana. "I'll give them fifteen seconds, then this baby's mine."

Marian and Eckhart looked at each other for a millisecond before they began searching for their clothes. "I thought Isabela was coming back _tomorrow_, and what's Leliana doing here?"

"You're asking the wrong person." This time they got completely dressed. Hawke even put on a bit of her champion's armor; she didn't want to get caught leaving Eckhart's room in her housecoat again.

"Well well well," Leliana folded her arms as she saw the two of them coming down the stairs. "I wonder how many thieves could've come through here while the two of you were 'busy' upstairs."

Isabela was clutching the expensive vase she set her eyes on the day before, "Can we say at least one?"

"Not this time Isabela. And Artemis is always on Guard," Eckhart replied, though not too confidently. A moment later they heard the Mabari chasing Ser Pounce-A-Lot through the dining room.

"We came to talk, not to steal." With one look of disapproval from Leliana, the pirate reluctantly returned her loot to its rightful place.

Eckhart approached her, his stare unblinking. "Nonetheless, you may leave with more than you came with."

Isabela wouldn't stop looking at Hawke, but every time she tried to catch her eye, the Rivaini would spin her glance about the ceiling as if she were distracted by something shiny.

The steadiness of Leliana's voice varied as the Warden walked closer to her. It was clear his presence still had an effect on her. The man was harder to read however; her importance to him was apparent from the way he looked upon her, he practically revered the woman, and yet his demeanour revealed no shame or guilt for his intimacy with Hawke. "I... Isabela and I have been on the road for most of the day. If you don't mind, I'd like to slip into something more comfortable before we begin."

"Begin what?" Marian asked.

"The celebration of course," Isabela cut in. "Which means we'll need drinks! Show me to your cellar, Hero." Isabela stormed off without waiting. Flabbergasted, Eckhart began following her while turning to Marian. "Show Leliana to the guest room. We'll meet you in the lounge."

"Make sure she doesn't break anything!" Hawke called out after him. Once he left, she turned to Leliana, trying to discern whether or not there was any murderous jealousy in her eyes. "You should know... Eckhart and I... Things just sort of _happened_."

Leliana smiled, "Isabela told me all about you, Hawke, you can't fool me. When you want something, you take it, and worry about the consequences later. After all, that's how you won her over, and that's how you've won _him_. I'm glad you did, you seem right for each other."

"I'm not sure I'd go that far. He's far more... _saintly_, than I."

"I don't believe that either. She also told me what really happened in Kirkwall. I believe you did the right thing for those mages, Meridith was out of line. I may not agree with your decision to release Anders, but I see now that you have a good heart."

"Well, I hope Isabela didn't tell you _everything_ about me."

With an enticing smirk she eyed Hawke up and down, "She did leave _some_ things up to my... imagination. Come now, that armor isn't necessary. You weren't expecting a fight, were you?"

"When it comes to Isabela, I never know what to expect."

She followed the Orlesian up the stairs and passed Eckhart's room. The door was still open, and Marian wondered whether she had a glance at the picture of herself on Eckhart's dresser. Either way, she made no mention of it. Hawke slipped into her usual red robes, while Leliana adorned a beautiful white dress of Orlesian silk. It clung tight to her thin figure, which Hawke was embarrassed to catch herself noticing. As she changed, she felt unusually naked in front of the woman, like she was being watched whenever her back was turned. It wasn't shyness she felt, but rather an unexpected excitement that usually came just before making love. The implications of her feelings were titillatingly nauseating.

When they were dressed, they came down to see Eckhart and Isabela talking by the fire. "..And then I threw him balls-first into the railing!" They were laughing like old friends.

"You have to admit, a woman's flexibility does have its advantages. I just can't reach that far backwards with a dagger."

"Bullocks! I've seen Zevran do the same thing just as easy."

"Then you'll just have to teach me sometime. On the voyage perhaps."

Eckhart was leaning back in his cushioned chair. Isabela was lying with her bootless legs enticingly sprawled out across the long couch next to him. She leaned towards him just enough so that her cleavage would angle itself to him every time she raised her wine glass up off the floor. He wasn't the only one affected by it, as Hawke's warmth could not only be attributed to the fireplace.

Leliana lifted Isabela's feet up to make a seat for herself, and let those voluptuous legs rest on her lap. She looked up at her former lover with sultry eyes. Seeing her relax that way, lying on the furniture while Leliana nonchalantly stroked her naked legs; it was _unbearably_ enticing. "Have a seat," she recommended, "Pour yourself a glass, my love."

She looked at Eckhart as she poured the wine, and his piercing gaze met hers. Did either of them know what they wanted? All she knew was the love she still felt for Isabela, and the comfort she felt with Eckhart since the night they first spoke (not to mention the _sex_). Nothing else needed to make sense.

She took a seat on the chair opposite him and the four companions started to talk about trivial things like weapons and jewellery. Eventually talk of king Alistair brought the conversation to old times. "He's cute, I'll give him that, but he doesn't seem the kingly type," Hawke commented.

"Oh Maker no," Eckhart laughed, "You should have seen the look on his face when they crowned him. That nervous smile he put on, it was priceless." He widened his lips and revealed clenched teeth to demonstrate what looked like a very awkward smile. They all laughed.

"That was my fault actually." Embarrassed, Leliana told the story of her attempt to train the king on the art of presentation. "I only wanted him to relax a little. 'Just keep smiling' I said, 'the more you practice the easier it will become'. So he spent the whole day with that same look on his face, even during a memorial service! Ugh, it was horrible!" Red faced, they giggled together. She plastered a rosy smile to her face as she imitated the befuddled king with the best Ferelden accent she could muster. "'We gather here today in a moment of silence to commemorate those who-" She couldn't keep herself from giggling long enough to finish.

"Poor Alistair," Eckhart laughed.

Isabela jumped in, "Oh, if you think _that's_ embarrassing, you haven't met Merrill. I remember, and this was years ago, but Hawke and I decided the girl needed a little 'educating'."

"I never told you to corrupt the girl! I just thought she needed to mature a little."

"Anyways, so I took her and Bethany out for a night at the Blooming Rose."

"Isabela you _didn't_! She's my _sister_!"

"Oh relax, I just bought her a dance is all. Oh her face was red as a ripened cherry. Though I'm sorry to say she never had quite the sexual appetite as her big sister."

"I'd rather not hear about my sister's _sexual appetite_, please."

"So as I was saying: poor Merrill is the most innocent little thing. She had never even _seen_ a bordello before! She walks in and waits to be seated, as if it were a restaurant. One of the _servicers_, a chiselled bloke by the name of 'Aidan the _eruptor_', eventually comes over to our table and she asks him for a menu. 'only two things on the menu here honey', he replies, 'Cock and pussy. Which'll it be?' And you know what she says? 'Oh, chicken sounds tempting, but I've never tried _cat_ before'!" A thunderous laughter ensued following the story. "Damn it I miss that girl," She finished, wiping the moisture from her eyes.

Once their amusement subsided, Hawke posed a question to Isabela. "So what exactly are we celebrating," to which she raised a brow. "You mentioned earlier this was a celebration. What for?"

"For the happy couple of course."

"We're just so happy for you two, you make quite the historical match," Leliana added.

"Well, we're not... I wouldn't exactly say we're..." she looked to Eckhart, hoping for his approval.

"We've been enjoying each other's company, let's put it at that," he smiled.

"Yes, that's it."

"I wonder how many rooms of the estate they've _'enjoyed'_ each other in," Leliana pondered.

This time Eckhart was at a loss for words, "Well... We... It's not as if that's all we've been doing."

"Right. In fact, just this afternoon, Eckhart showed me the beach just down the coast."

"Oh I'll bet you loved that," Isabela jived, "watching the water _beat_ against the rocks, as the tide came _rushing_ in _again_ and _again_ and _again_. Ooh, I shudder just thinking of the fun you two must've had."

"It's not all been fun and games," Eckhart added, "Why, last night we discussed battle manoeuvres."

"That conversation must've gone long into the night, if I remember _your_ 'battle manoeuvres'." Leliana teased.

Isabela rose from the couch and glided over to Eckhart's side, "As I understand it, the Hero prefers to... _get behind_ his enemy." With that she turned and slowly caressed his lap with her rear.

Hawke rose from her chair, "Isabela, what are you-"

Leliana rose to block her view. "Whereas the Champion prefers to take her opponent _face-to-face_." She pushed Marian back into her chair and lifted up her dress to climb on top of her. A second later and they were kissing.

Marian felt hot, she couldn't keep her hands from massaging Leliana's tempting form. The redhead's touch was skilled and artful. Everywhere she went, Marian felt a cool tingling sensation, like she carried pleasure on her fingertips. The sound of Isabela's delight from the other chair just added fuel to her fire. She reached up the bottom of Leliana's dress and began clenching and rubbing her thighs while she felt fingers tightly clutching her hair.

They released from embrace and looked into each other's eyes. The sound of Eckhart's enjoyment seemed to have a similar effect on Leliana. She opened the top of Marian's robe and slid it down to reveal her shoulders, at which point she went for her neck. She slid her robes further down her chest just enough to bid Leliana permission to her nipple. As she ran her fingers through the red head of hair at her breast, she looked over to see her Riviani love relishing in the same pleasure.

Eckhart then lifted Isabela and put her down on to the carpet, pushing the table away. He got to work on removing her tunic, and within moments she was half-naked on the floor. The other two partners soon followed them, and Hawke began lifting the dress further up Leliana's waist. She helped her out of her underclothes, sliding them off her feet, and began to tease her. She was warm and inviting, her frame was so small and supple she wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of her body, but she did so slowly.

First she kissed the inside of her thigh. Her hands crept along, brushing and caressing their way closer. Slowly her advance grew more intense, until she could no longer wait to taste. Her raw bodily smell was a tad softer to the senses. Hawke noticed what must've been a trace of perfume, unless Orlesians were all born with the scent of vanilla.

Leliana's voice rose to accompany Isabela, who at that point had invited Eckhart inside her. With their heads resting on the floor next to each other, they turned to kiss upside-down while their opponents continued to please them.

Hawke felt a tug in her hair, and she was pulled up to kiss Leliana. As she glided along her body, she brought the hem of her dress up with her and pulled it off over her head. She giggled as they tossed it away, leaving her naked on the floor. As they kissed there, they continued removing Hawke's robes. For the number of times she had taken it off that week, she started to wonder why she even bothered putting it back on. Once they were both undressed, they looked upon each other. "So is this what you meant by 'changing into something more comfortable?'" She asked. Leliana only smiled devilishly as she slid herself underneath Hawke to reach her waist. The sensations she delivered there brought Hawke to a pant. She bit her lip, closing her eyes, and when she opened them they met Eckhart's.

As he moved himself into Isabela again and again, he returned her gaze. His look was hard to read, as usual. It seemed as if he didn't expect this, and yet he never looked surprised. It was all about the moment with him; there was this thoughtful recklessness that they both shared. They couldn't keep themselves apart. Leaning in to each other they kissed until Isabela pulled her away. "Whatever your feelings for him, you'll always be _my_ girl." She threw herself on top of her, and the two began wrestling in osculation on the floor.

As they fought/embraced, she heard Eckhart delicately say, "I've missed you, Leliana."

There was a pause as Leliana lay reddened and moist before him, her chest heaving with each breath. She opened her legs to him and cocked her head back in an inviting gesture. "Prove it."

They continued for some time until Isabela and Leliana forced Eckhart and Marian on each other (not that they had to). Eckhart was lying on top of Leliana as she nibbled away at his neck, and Hawke rode him while Isabela held and fondled her from behind.

The fire was almost burnt out and night had set by the time the four of them had moved to the couch. They would laugh sometimes as they stumbled into positions they were unfamiliar with. Hawke felt so many different sensations coming from so many different places that she could barely distinguish who was doing what to her. When the fire had died down completely, a draft from the window came through and sent a shiver over her boiling skin. The contrast of hot and cold felt wonderful but distracting, as her sweat soaked up the cool breeze like a sponge. The three women were in a big pile on the couch when they agreed to move things to the bedroom. They only got as far as the stairs before Isabela and Hawke were at each other again.

Sprawled along the steps, Hawke let her tongue dance with the Warden's while Isabela and Leliana pleasured him 'the Orlesian way' (according to _Isabela_). When they finally made it to the bed, Hawke and her love lied with Leliana between them. Eckhart Cousland held off a moment to watch them, with that same look of reverence he had only for the one he knew the deepest. Seeing/hearing Leliana's satisfaction seemed to be pleasure enough for him, as the pirate and the champion let their mouths work away at her.

Hawke heard Isabela tell stories like this before, but she didn't think it could be so intimate. Part of the thrill was simply in working together to induce Leliana's passion. It was as if they were making love to each other _through_ her, a thought more metaphysical than Hawke was accustomed to.

Eckhart knelt at the edge of the bed to taste his love, and she began to writhe with pleasure beneath them. He climbed into her, and continued until she could take no more.

Isabela beckoned him behind her while she and Marian licked the moisture from Leliana's thighs. Before long, she too had had enough. "Damn... Grey Warden endurance... Unfair advantage... Up to you, Hawke," she gasped.

Leliana and Isabela cuddled next to each other while they watched, and to Hawke's surprise, the Warden grunted and writhed quite sharply. He freed himself from her waist and, while clenching her close, came upon her stomach.

He rolled over to her side while the other two lazily crawled over to them. "If I may..." Leliana said as she lowered herself to her stomach and began cleaning her (also 'the Orlesian way', according to Isabela). The four of them collapsed exhausted on top of each other and kissed until they could no more.

It must've been after midnight when Leliana and Isabela fell asleep, cuddled on top of their lovers. Marian and Eckhart talked wordlessly through the night with their eyes as they caressed their captors, until they too fell into the fade.


	4. Chapter 4

She awoke next to the two other women, but Eckhart was missing. She lifted her head and noticed him in a corner of the room with an easel and paintbrush. "You know, some people might find that a little creepy."

"You don't," he replied, his eyes fixed to the easel. "You find it irresistibly charming. Wait, don't move your leg, I'm almost finished."

Leliana groggily opened her eyes and smiled at her. She kissed her lightly on the lips. "I half expected you to disappear on me."

"And _I_ half expected to wake up in Orlais." She thought back to Eckhart's words and wondered how long she could hide away in his lair. "I think I _will_ go with you." Leliana lifted her brow, shocked, "Someone ought to put things right, and it might as well be me."

"Finished," Eckhart declared.

Marian moved Isabela aside as she got up to look at the portrait. As she rolled over she mumbled something in her sleep like '_bouncing ponies_'. With Leliana she examined the picture and saw three naked women lying in deep reverie as rays of sunlight from the window danced on their skin. "It's beautiful," she said.

Eckhart simply leaned back against his desk, "I can't take credit for that."

Leliana eyed it up and down, speechless, when she finally said "This will probably be worth a lot of money some day," at which point Isabela darted up out of bed in fascination.

"You know," the pirate began, "it's quite good, but it's missing something." The three women simultaneously turned their heads to the artist. He simply shrugged, confused.

The next moment he was on the bed, and his three models went to work on him. They each shared his obliging erection between their lips until it could oblige them no more.

In the cave pool beneath the estate, the water was still cool from the night before, and it shook the sleep from their minds as they bathed together. Leliana tugged Eckhart away, and they washed and embraced each other, leaving Marian and Isabela alone on the opposite side.

Isabela's arms were spread out across the edge of the pool while she floated with her legs up, looking out on the other couple. "Those two are _freaks, _you know. I'm serious, last night was but a sample, you should've been there 7 years ago; they were animals. It's nice to know they haven't forgotten the steps."

The pirate lifted a leg above the water and Marian began to lather it with a bar of Orlesian soap. "Are you going to dodge the issue all day?"

She sighed, "Right, _us_. I'm sorry love, you know I'm not good at apologies. Last night was like a... sensual apology. That counts, right?"

"What makes you think you should be the one apologizing?"

"Well, I do have a history of things always being my fault."

"Not this time." She waded closer to her in the water, "I'm sorry Isabela. I don't resent your freedom, I _envy_ it. I don't want you to change, I love you as free as you are."

"But you were right. I _want_ to change; I want to take life seriously, to take _us_ seriously. But now I'm competing with the 'Hero of Ferelden'!"

She chuckled, "you're not competing with him. He doesn't stand a chance against the woman I love. That is, if you still have my back?"

She felt a tight hand smack her rear in the water, "Always."

They waited for Yara and Tobias to return before they left. The two youths were fuming at each other about something that happened back in town, but Hawke never asked what. Eckhart argued with his squire some, until he finally convinced the young man to stay behind. "You don't want to be a Grey Warden" he pointed out, subtly gesturing to Yara, "Some things are more important than glory." Yara insisted they stay for supper, but there was no time.

The four travellers set off into town to find the nearest port. Isabela and Eckhart discussed navigations while Leliana detailed the road she and Hawke would be taking to Val Royeaux. When they saw Isabela's ship anchored at the docks, Hawke realized how much quicker she would've found the Warden Commander if she hadn't left Isabela at Amaranthine. The whole ordeal seemed childish now, as she couldn't bear the thought of being parted once more. But as Eckhart said, her responsibilities as a leader would only trouble her more the longer she ignored them.

When they reached the pier, Eckhart and Leliana stayed behind to say goodbye to each other. Hawke simply kept following Isabela until they reached her ship. "Well, looks like we have to split up once more. Should we fight again this time, just for consistency?" Isabela joked.

"You're a crazy bitch and those pants make your ass look fat."

She giggled, "Oh, but you love it!" They kissed deeply and ignored the lapping of the water which begged to see them parted.

"I suppose I shouldn't worry, but I probably will."

"The Ocean and I have a history, yes, but no need to be jealous; you're still my number one," she winked.

"And what about your new crewmember?" she nodded over to Eckhart. "How ever will you behave yourself?"

"_Me_? _You're_ the one adventuring off with a professional seductress."

"Well then, I suppose our relationship is just doomed to fail."

"Yep, it's hopeless." They kissed one final time before Isabela climbed to her ship. She virtually ignored her crew welcoming her back as her eyes followed her lover down the pier.

Hawke met Eckhart halfway down. Leliana stood on the shore, a wistful look on her mouth and tears in her eyes. They were very dramatic, not at all like her and Isabela.

"Champion," Eckhart nodded.

"Hero," she replied.

"I don't envy what you're up against. Sometimes I think the Wardens have it easier; there's never any second guessing in killing mindless Darkspawn. But _politics_!" he shuddered, "Much more frightening."

"I've never had much patience for diplomacy. Any chance we could switch places?"

He chuckled and placed an arm about her shoulder, "You'll do the right thing. Just make sure Thedas is in one piece when I get back."

"You keep the blight off our backs and I'll see what I can do."

He looked once more to his lover on the shore and waved a hand, "One more thing," he continued, "take care of her, will you?"

She grinned, "I'll extend her _every_ courtesy, as you put it. Oh, and as for Isabela, take care of yourself around her; she goes _mad_ with lust on the open sea."

"Far be it for me to refuse the captain's orders. I'll make sure to offer the same _courtesy_" he winked. "'Fare thee well, 'champion'."

"'Til next time, 'hero'."


End file.
